Population

Religion

Weather

The island of Java is home to more than half of Indonesians living in poverty.

A majority of Java’s poor live in the teeming slums of such urban centers as Jakarta, the capital city.

Impoverished rural families are increasingly moving from the countryside to the cities for jobs as low-paid factory workers.

The rate of people moving to cities outpaces the housing capacity and ability to provide basic services, such as sanitation, electricity and safe water. Many of the urban poor live in conditions of great suffering and need.

Another problem for Java’s impoverished urban families is the instability of food prices, particularly the country’s staple – rice. Recent price increases have had dire effects for those in poverty.

A significant increase in the price of fuel has affected the overall cost of living, making it even more difficult for impoverished families to meet their needs.

Indonesia is an archipelago in southeastern Asia consisting of 17,508 islands (6,000 inhabited) and straddling the equator.

It is the world’s largest country comprised solely of islands.

The biggest islands are Sumatra, Java (the most populous), Bali, Kalimantan (Indonesia's part of Borneo), Sulawesi (Celebes), the Nusa Tenggara islands, the Moluccas Islands, and Irian Jaya (also called West Papua), the western part of New Guinea.

Indonesia, part of the “ring of fire,” has the largest number of active volcanoes in the world. Java, for example, has 50 active volcanoes.

The topography of Indonesia’s islands varies but consists mainly of coastal lowlands. Some of Indonesia’s larger islands (Sumatra and Java, for example) have large interior mountains.

Natural disasters, especially earthquakes, are common. On Dec. 26, 2004, a 9.1 to 9.3 magnitude earthquake struck in the Indian Ocean, triggering a large tsunami that devastated many Indonesian islands.

Indonesia’s climate is tropical with hot and humid weather in lower elevations.

In the highlands, temperatures are more moderate.

Economy

Indonesia’s economy centers on agriculture and industry.

The main agricultural products include rice, coffee, sugarcane, palm oil, poultry and pork.

Indonesia’s economy is helped by its strategic location along major sea lanes from the Indian Ocean to the Pacific Ocean.

Today Indonesia is a growing tourist hotspot because of its tropical landscape in places such as Bali.

The child labor (ages 5-14) rate stands at 7 percent.

The average annual household income is U.S.$5,000.

The population living below the poverty line is 11.7 percent.

Throughout the country, 16 percent of the population lives on U.S.$1.25 per day or less.

Children at Home

The homes of impoverished Javanese families in urban slums are fragile, makeshift dwellings made of scrap materials.

Houses are typically crowded together along riverbanks and other precarious locations.

Highly polluted rivers, which often flood during the rainy season, make an unsanitary environment for children growing up in the slums.

Culture Corner

BATAGOR

Ingredients:

4 firm tofu squares

2 oz prawns, peeled, deveined, minced

1.5 oz minced chicken

1 green onion, chopped

1 tsp sesame oil

2 tsp corn starch

1 egg, lightly beaten

Salt and pepper to taste

Batter

2 oz flour

1 egg

Peanut Sauce

1 oz dry roasted peanuts, chopped

1 fresh red chili, chopped

2 garlic cloves, minced

1 tsp sugar

1 tsp salt

2 tsp vinegar

2 oz water

Directions:

Slice tofu squares into 8 triangles.

Cut slit on 1 side of each triangle to make pocket for stuffing. Hollow out some tofu from pocket. In a bowl, mix extra tofu bits with prawns, chicken, onion, sesame oil, corn starch, egg, salt and pepper.

Stuff triangles with filling, place in steamer and steam for 20 minutes.

For batter: combine egg with flour, pouring enough water while whisking until medium-thin consistency.

For sauce: combine ingredients in bowl. Stir until sugar and salt dissolve.